Perforate insole for shoes



IIL-

United States Patent O PERFORATE INSOLE FOR SHOES Henrik VilhelmDrefvelin, Oslo, Norway Application February 2, 1954, Serial No. 407,727

Claims priority, application Norway April 24, 1953 2 Claims. (Cl. 36-3)This invention relates to insoles for shoes and of the type which areprovided with a series of perforations in the face of the insole.

The object of the invention is to provide a construction of insole whichwill prevent or reduce dampness in shoes. Thus, an insole made inaccordance with the invention may be especially useful when used withshoes, for example rubber shoes, of the type in which it is difficult toavoid dampness within the shoe.

The invention provides a special construction of insole which includeswithin the insole a series of small pumping chambers acting, during theuse of the shoe, as air pumps which act to circulate air through theperforations of the insole below the foot.

According to the invention a perforated insole for shoes comprises anetwork of intercrossing longitudinal and transverse ribs, the outerends of the ribs on the side of the insole nearer to the foot beingsituated substantially in one and the same plane, whereas the outer endsof the ribs on the side of the insole away from the foot havealternating higher and lower portions, in such a manner that the higherportions normally abut against the shoe bottom, whereas the lowerportions, when loaded by the pressure of the foot against the insole,are pressed down against the shoe bottom, thus providing for a pumpingaction with subsequent air circulation, when the shoe is used forwalking.

The insole of the invention may be considered as being subdivided into anumber of pumping chambers bordered by the higher portions of the ribs,each pumping chamber being divided transversely by a rib of lowerprofile. When the insole is loaded by the pressure of the foot againstthe insole, the rib of the lower profile is pressed down against theshoe bottom, but as soon as the pressure discontinues during walking,the rib of the lower profile exes back again, whereby circulation of airis obtained.

In order that the invention may be easily understood, it will bedescribed with reference to the drawing, which illustrates by way ofexample an embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is an underplan of an insole according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is a section taken along line II-II of Fig. l, in a non-loadedcondition of the insole, and to a larger scale than Fig. l and alsodiagrammatically indicating the foot of the user, and

Fig. 3 is a similar section along line II-II of Fig. l, but in a loadedcondition of the insole.

The insole shown in Fig. l may consist of any suitable resilientmaterial, for example of rubber or of thermosetting or thermoplasticmaterial, and is built up from a series of longitudinal ribs 1, 2, 3, 4,S, 6, interconnected by a considerable number of transversecomplementary ribs.

The distance between adjacent single ribs, which together form theinsole, may of course, be chosen differently, and it is a matter ofchoice how many ribs, longitudinal as well as transverse, are to bechosen.

The upper side of the insole not seen on Fig. l, has transverse andlongitudinal ribs whose outer surfaces are situated in a common plane.On the side seen in Fig. l, that is the underside, however, the ribs areprovided with alternating higher portions 7, indicated on the drawing bythick, black lines, and the lower portions 8, shown without such thick,black lines. It will be appreciated that the higher portions in factextend to a position lower than the lower portion.

Thus, the entire insole can be regarded as subdivided into chambersbordered by higher portions 7, and each of these chambers is dividedinto two parts by means of the lower ribs 8.

Fig. 2 shows the section taken along line II-II of Fig. l. Taken fromthe left there is first a portion 7 of a rib of high section, thereaftera portion 8 of a rib of low section and then again a portion 7 of highsection. The figure also shows part of the longitudinal rib 1, and thefoot is resting upon the insole as diagrammatically indicated by 9.

When the foot 9 exerts a pressure against the insole, the low rib 8 ispressed down against the shoe bottom, as illustrated by Fig. 3. Theunder-face 9 of the foot accordingly will act as a pump diaphragm toreduce the volume of the space bordered by the portions 7 of highcross-section surrounding the space. The air confined within an areabordered by the portions of high crosssection accordingly is pumped out,and as soon as the pressure of the foot against the sole is relieved,for example when the foot is lifted from the ground during walking, thelow portion 8 will ex back to the place shown on Fig. 2, whereby asuction is' obtained, and new air is drawn into said chamber.

Thus, during walking, air is pumped out of and drawn into the severalchambers of the sole, which prevents formation of dampness beneath thefoot.

I claim:

1. A perforated insole for footwear comprising a flexible body composedof a net work of flat longitudinal and transverse ribs, definingopenings extending through the body, the surfaces of said ribs on oneside of the body continuing into each other in the same plane to providea smooth foot-engaging surface, and protruding elongated ribs on theopposite shoe-engaging surface of the body formed upon alternatetransverse ribs so as to provide alternating high and low surfaceportions throughout the body, the high surface portions normally restingupon the sole of the shoe, and the low surface portions being normallyspaced above the sole of the shoe, thereby providing a plurality ofseparate air chambers communicating with the atmosphere through saidopenings, whereby upon compression and expansion of the ribs duringwalking air is pumped over the sole of the foot of the wearer of theshoe.

2. A removable perforated insole for shoes comprising a ilat exiblecellular body of a contour similar to the contour of the wearing sole ofa shoe, said body being formed of a continuous rib extending around theperiphery thereof, elongated closed looped ribs spaced inwardly of theperipheral rib and extending lengthwise of the body, and ribs extendingacross the spaces between said peripheral rib and the adjacent loopedrib and between and across said looped ribs, said ribs delining openingsextending through the body, the surfaces of said ribs on one side of thebody continuing into each other in the saine plane so as to provide asmooth at foot-engaging surface, and elongated outwardly protruding ribson the opposite side of the body formed upon alternate cross ribs andupon the peripheral and looped ribs at spaced intervals therealong, saidprotruding ribs and the portions of the body ribs therebetween formingalternate high and low surface portions, the high surface portionsnormally resting upon the sole of the shoe and the low surface portionsbeing normally spaced above the sole of the shoe, thereby providing a oReferences Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSDaggett June 5, Eckhardt June 3, Blumenfeld Mar. 19, Margolin Aug. 24,

nl T-

